Building Audience Rapport

   

 

Good speakers are adept at building audience rapport. They form a bond with their audience by entertaining and informing them. Successful speakers use verbal and nonverbal techniques to connect with the audience, such as providing effective imagery, supplying verbal signposts, and using body language strategically.

  

Effective Imagery

You will lose your audience quickly if you fill your talk with abstractions, generalities, and dry facts. To enliven your presentation and enhance comprehension, try using some of the following techniques. Beware of exaggeration or distortion. Keep your imagery realistic and credible.

·         Analogies. A comparison of similar traits between dissimilar things can be effective in explaining and drawing connections.

·         Metaphors. A comparison between otherwise dissimilar things without using the words like or as results in a metaphor.

·         Similes. A comparison that includes the words like or as is a simile.

·         Personal anecdotes. Nothing connects you faster or better with your audience than a good personal story.

·         Personalized statistics. Although often misused, statistics stay with people—particularly when they relate directly to the audience.

·         Worst- and best-case scenarios. Hearing the worst that could happen can be effective in driving home a point.
 

Verbal Signposts

Speakers must remember that listeners, unlike readers of a report, cannot control the rate of presentation or flip back through pages to review main points. As a result, listeners get lost easily. Knowledgeable speakers help the audience recognize the organization and main points in an oral message with verbal signposts. They keep listeners on track by including helpful previews, summaries, and transitions, such as these: 

·         Previewing
The next segment of my talk presents three reasons for …
Let's now consider the causes of …

·         Summarizing
Let me review with you the major problems I have just discussed …
You see, then, that the most significant factors are …

·         Switching directions
Thus far we have talked solely about…; now let's move to …
I have argued that … and …, but an alternative view holds that …

You can further improve any oral presentation by including appropriate transitional expressions, such as first, second, next, then, therefore, moreover, on the other hand, on the contrary, and in conclusion. These transitional expressions build coherence, lend emphasis, and tell listeners where you are headed.

 

Nonverbal Messages

Although what you say is most important, the nonverbal messages you send can also have a potent effect on how well your audience receives your message. How you look, how you move, and how you speak can make or break your presentation. The following suggestions focus on nonverbal tips to ensure that your verbal message is well received. 

·         Look terrific! Like it or not, you will be judged by your appearance. For everything but small in-house presentations, be sure you dress professionally. The rule of thumb is that you should dress at least as well as the best-dressed person in the audience.

·         Animate your body. Be enthusiastic and let your body show it. Emphasize ideas to enhance points about size, number, and direction. Use a variety of gestures, but don't consciously plan them in advance.

·         Speak extemporaneously. Do not read from notes or a manuscript but speak freely. Use your presentation slides to guide your talk. You will come across as more competent and enthusiastic if you are not glued to your notes or manuscript. Use note cards or a paper outline only if presenting without an electronic slideshow.

·         Punctuate your words. You can keep your audience interested by varying your tone, volume, pitch, and pace. Use pauses before and after important points. Allow the audience to take in your ideas.

·         Get out from behind the podium. Avoid being glued to the podium. Movement makes you look natural and comfortable. You might pick a few places in the room to walk to. Even if you must stay close to your visual aids, make a point of leaving them occasionally so that the audience can see your whole body.

·         Vary your facial expression. Begin with a smile but change your expressions to correspond with the thoughts you are voicing. You can shake your head to show disagreement, roll your eyes to show disdain, look heavenward for guidance, or wrinkle your brow to show concern or dismay.  
 

Watch The Importance of Body Language in Presentations: